Back to Life...A Powerful Noise

It seems like I've been sick forever, but I must be coming out of it... I finally have enough energy to pull my head out of the TV and think of other things. One that caught my eye today was the 'A Powerful Noise' event happening next week in theaters all over the country. I'm not entirely sure what it is, it seems to be a group committed to eliminating poverty by empowering women, or maybe just pointing out the powere they might not realize they have. In any case, check it out and maybe go see the show. I'm going, and I'd be interested in what you think...

Sick...

I've been sick for almost a week now, and it's been awhile since I had to deal with my sinuses. I have been reminded of what a pain in the *&^(@ it is to try and get 'my' kind of cold medicine which has to be kept behind the pharmacy counter because it can somehow be used to make meth? By that standard shouldn't duct tape be kept under lock and key? Almost every bomb I see on tv is held together with dangerous duct tape! And I had to show my license to buy the Advil Cold and Sinus! Makes me feel like a criminal for having a cold... I know, bitch, bitch, bitch... you would too if every time you rolled over it felt like you're brain was rolling into the other side of your head!

Seen Milk?

I lived in northern California in the late 1970's, but I was not into politics. Still, I remember the shock of the Milk/Moscone assassinations. Today I lived it much more up close and personal than when it happened the first time. The movie was good - really good - a little more 'gay' than I was comfortable with, but after all - that is the story. It made me proud of California. And I'd forgotten about Anita Bryant, but after seeing the movie I remember I was shocked by her 'Christian' attitude. Honestly, I sometimes think there is noone LESS Christian than a fundamentalist, conservative Christian.

Sean Penn was great, as always - I'm sure the role will make him a real contender at the Oscars - So far I've hit 3 of the best picture nominees, and so far I'm rooting for Slumdog Millionaire - next weekend I'll hit Frost/Nixon, another piece of history I lived, but was too young and apolitical to understand.

Fort Myers Art Festival - Great!!

I spent 3 hours at the Fort Myers Art Festival yesterday - it is such a great festival. I was really surprised to see that this years poster was by Timothy Parker - http://www.timothymparker.com/ a favorite of mine since I saw his unusual, beautiful work at an art festival in St. Armand's circle last year. He was the artist that I went back and talked to - I thought his paintings were 'collage-like' and he told me that he used his computer to 'test' certain techniques in sections of his paintings before he painted them, to make sure he liked them... I thought that was a fantastically clever idea. I suppose it's not that much of a stretch, but it wouldn't have occurred to me. I love his work - but all I could afford was a framed copy of the poster - still, if you have time, check out his web site and enjoy.

Tractors Plowing Fields Under the Stars

I finished my first 'boy' quilt for Project Linus - This one turned out the best of the ones I've worked on - It's a little smaller, and that worked out great with the backing. I think I'll do a few more of this simple style.

We went to Ichabod's tonight to celebrate a whole month of Dale quitting smoking and me sticking to my diet and both of us exercising 3 times a week. It's been tough - I keep waiting to WANT to get up and exercise, but it doesn't happen... will it ever?

Which traveler are you?

I got this from a website called Writing Fuel, and I just loved it. Don't you?

A traveler came to the gates of a new city and asked the gatekeeper, "What kind of people live here?" The gatekeeper answered with a question of his own, "What kind of people lived in the city you just came from?" The traveler replied, "They were mostly a cantankerous lot, greedy and self-centered." The gatekeeper answered, "I expect you will find the people here just the same."

Soon after, another traveler met the gatekeeper and asked the same question. Again the gatekeeper asked, "How did you find the residents of the city you visited last?" The traveler answered enthusiastically, "They were warm and hospitable; truly a fine group of people." The gatekeeper responded, "I expect you will find these folk just the same."

-Christina Feldman, The Buddhist Path to Simplicity

Aquatica!! SeaWorld!

I love water parks! OK, maybe I'm a little old to be zipping down a slide and splashing into the pool - but it sounds great to me... I hit a lot of water parks when I lived in CA, but then I had kids with me as an 'excuse'. Now I just have to suck it up and go as the wierd old lady... oh well. Anyway, I am getting tickets to Sea World and Aquatica for Valentine's Day ! Dale: what a guy! He may not really understand me, but he tries hard most of the time.

Speaking of Dale, he an Patrick are playing the Member/Member tournament this weekend, so I am free to do whatever I want... may try to get a kayak up at the power plant - the manatees are up there by the hundreds. Then there's Artfest, a couple more Oscar movies, dinner at Ichabod's Saturday night... and more - I just don't know what yet - I love the weekend!

Obama Whitehouse

Well, I just sent my first email to the Whitehouse - I guess I didn't actually realize you could do that... and there is a Whitehouse blog too. If you haven't read it, I think you should! This president is trying to give us a way to be involved and we should take advantage of it - I felt for years that there was nothing I could do to influence government, which I'm sorry to say I feel is a pretty corrupt group, but now we have this chance to be heard. Who knows, maybe it's your great idea that will save the country! Send your thoughts. Send your plans - maybe this is the administration that understands that the more ideas they consider the more likely they are to find one that is actually brilliant! Good luck to us all..

Quote of the Day

"Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt

We get a daily email at work, and this was the quote of the day... this is a good one to remember when someone makes you feel like ^%#$&$. Don't give your power away to some creep! You've got to keep yourself feeling good about yourself, no matter what rudeness you're subjected to.

Not a great day at work, but I'm hanging in there - some PI cases are very strange. Today I heard something about an accident where someone hit a truck carrying bees, and not only was seriously injured in the accident, but the accident released the bees(!) and he was stung hundreds of times as well!

Project Linus

I went to a meething yesterday where the agencies who use the Project Linus blankets got up and told us a little bit about how they get used. I found out that last year, just in this area people made 2,024 blankets for Project Linus - during the life of Project Linus almost 17,000 blankets have been made and donated here! That's a lot of blankets - and what happens to them? Well, they mostly get used at the Children's Hospital - apparently children who get them bring often bring them back when they come to the hospital again. We were told about one girl who has beaten leukemia into remission 3 times. She was given a blanket and each time she lost and regained her hair she used the bandanas she wore to enlarge her blanket - she want to grow up and be a Project Linus 'Blanketeer' - Blanketeer! I like that! Makes me feel 'Disney'.

The police department also uses the blankets, and ACT (Abuse Counseling and Treatment) use quite a few. They also get used by the American Lung Assoc who run a Paul Newman camp in the Orlando area called Camp Boggy Creek, which is a summer camp for very ill children. The man who talked about that also talked about the volunteers who work at the camp - he called them 'shiny' people, people whose spirits are so clear and giving I guess. I suppose we've all met a few 'shiny' people... I wonder if you are born 'shiny' or if you 'get' shiny? hmmmm

http://www.projectlinus.org/